The Smart List is a monthly list of multi-media recommendations on everything design, curated by Interwoven Design. In this issue we share a selection of design documentaries that come from the New York based, world renowned filmmaker and visual artist, Gary Hustwit. His films have premiered at the Sundance Film Festival and have been broadcasted on PBS, BBC, HBO and Netflix. We love films that offer a fresh perspective on design history as well as contemporary design. The four films we’ve chosen here feature an in-depth analysis of the industries under the umbrella of design.
1. Rams
2018
The documentary Rams highlights the life story of legendary German industrial designer Dieter Rams, who was the chief designer at Braun from 1961 to 1995. His impact on modern day products spans across many categories but he is best known for his clean, minimalist home appliances, his influence on Apple’s design aesthetic, and his 10 design principles. The film tells a story of consumerism, sustainability and innovation through interviews with Rams as well as his friends and colleagues.
2. Objectified
2009
The film Objectified features a viewpoint into the process behind creating the objects around us everyday. Hustwit confronts industrial design and the base of consumerism by how it impacts our ecological, financial and social climates. The director compels discussion through the want of the newest product versus filling landfills.
3. Urbanized
2011
Urbanized is a film diving into the modern urban planning era and its impact on the people that populate its cities around the world. Hustwit and his team encapsulate topics that challenge the ’cause and effects’ of urban planning. The insight and interviews with renowned architects, builders, and leaders invoke debate into unconsidered reasoning.
4. Workplace
2016
The film Workplace dives into the ‘new normal’ that COVID-19 has implemented into our work-life balance. The documentary studies life in an New York office evolution by renowned architects, Foster + Partners. Information and data collection leads to strategic results that are still currently debated between employees and employers fighting for the equilibrium between remote and in office work.
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